


All Your Eyes Can See Is Red

by ProbablyVoldemort



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Gen, I'm Sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-23
Updated: 2016-09-23
Packaged: 2018-08-16 20:41:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8116876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProbablyVoldemort/pseuds/ProbablyVoldemort
Summary: An akuma attack ends badly, and Marinette is forced to live without her Chat Noir and with the world knowing her secret.





	

**Author's Note:**

> So I really shouldn't have started this. I have too many WIPs and too much homework, but then this happened and yeah.  
> I'm not totally happy with this, but it needs to be posted or I'm going to spend weeks staring at it instead of writing my psych essay, which is what I should be doing. Actually, I should technically be sleeping since it's two in the morning, but I should really also be writing that psych essay.  
> Apologizing right now for this fic.  
> (Song title is from Rachel Platten's You're Safe)  
> Enjoy :)

_When danger grabs you from above_  
_Falling down, you're giving up  
And you can't remember how to love  
You swear to god you've had enough _

*********************************************************************

The seconds it took for the world to fall apart lasted years.

It wasn’t supposed to happen like this.

One second Chat was diving at the akuma, baton out as he aimed to take out her legs.

The next he was screaming in pain as the akuma’s claws wrapped around him, digging into his skin and tearing it apart, his baton falling from his grasp.

One second Ladybug was waiting for the akuma to fall from the Eiffel Tower so she could catch her on the way down and end the battle before she ran out of time.

The next she was crying out as Chat’s body was dropped, his eyes wide in panic as they met hers, blood trailing after him, and she threw her yo-yo, watching his arms scramble for it and miss.

One second it was just like any other day, any other akuma battle.

The next Ladybug choked on a scream as she listened to the sickening crunch of his body hitting the ground.

The akuma was defeated in minutes that felt like years, the butterfly barely cleansed and the ladybugs barely beginning on their flight through the city when she was swinging down with the trembling ex-akuma under her arm. She deposited the girl as her feet touched the ground, tearing her way to where the group of paramedics had gather around Chat.

She pushed past them, her breath catching in horror at the sight of her kitty.

“No,” she whispered, rocketing forward to his side. “No, no, no. Come on, Minou.” She pulled his heavy head into her lap, her fingers running through his hair. “Open your eyes. Please just open your eyes.” She glanced up briefly at the paramedics. “Why aren’t you doing anything?” she snapped, pulling his broken body closer. “Fix him!”

“I’m sorry, Ladybug,” one of them said. “There’s nothing we can do. He’s—”

“No!” she screamed again, her arms wrapping around him and her face burying itself in his chest. He was still warm. “No, you have to do something. You have to fix him.”

The paramedics didn’t say anything, or maybe they did, but she wasn’t listening anymore. This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening. But his blood was soaking through her suit, and she couldn’t look at the angles his legs were bent at, and he wasn’t breathing and she couldn’t feel his heartbeat.

Ladybug registered a distant beeping, whether it was his or hers she didn’t know, nor did she care. She held onto him tightly, whispering nonsense into his ear and dripping tears onto his face.

She felt her transformation drop a few moments later, heard Tikki’s gasp as she came to hover near them. Marinette pushed her away, pressing her forehead against his.

Something tried to pull him away from her, something else tried to pull her away from him, and she snarled, striking out and screaming words that didn’t make sense. They backed away, and her eyes caught on Alya, being held back by police, tears streaming down the girl’s face. Marinette looked away, pulling him closer.

His transformation dropped, and the breath left her body like she’d been punched in the gut. He couldn’t be. Chat couldn’t be Adrien. He couldn’t be. Because that would mean she’d lost both the love of her life and one of her best friends.

She let out a scream, one of pure anguish and defeat that shook all of Paris to its bones. She clutched him tighter, sobs wracking her body.

This couldn’t be happening.

 

_The ladybugs swept over them returning the city to the way it was supposed to be. She watched as he crouched down to comfort the little girl who’d gotten upset when the tooth fairy hadn’t come for the tooth she’d lost in secret. There was still time, lots of time, really, since neither had had to use their powers during the fight, so she turned to the gathered reporters, smiling and answering questions._

_He joined her, eventually, standing at her side with jokes and puns that would surely make front page news. Or at least a segment on the news channels._

_The last of the questions answered, they took to the rooftops, touching down on one to say their farewells._

_“Well, Chat,” she said, her smile fading at the way he was fidgeting, refusing to look at her. “I guess it’s time to go.”_

_His hand shot out and caught her wrist, and his eyes rose to meet hers. “I was thinking,” he started, any hints of teasing gone for the moment, at least. “We’re not running out of time, so maybe we could hang out for a while?”_

_Her yo-yo was in her hand, and she flipped it open, checking the time, before she grinned at him. “I’ve got about an hour before I’m needed anywhere,” she told him, taking her hand back to flick his bell. “Hanging out sounds like a great idea.”_

_He blinked at her for a moment, eyes wide, before his face broke out in one of the happiest grins she’d seen in a long time. “Claw-some, my Lady,” he purred, flopping down onto the roof and stretching out. She rolled her eyes, sinking down to join him._

_The hour passed faster than she would have liked. Though they talked vaguely about their lives—he lived with his father, had an ungodly appetite for sweets, and his best friend was too stubborn to ask out the girl he liked—they mostly stuck to safe topics. Movies. Video games. Books. At any rate, she’d learned more about her partner in that hour than she had in two years._

_But she stood to leave, needing to “wake up” by ten to help in the bakery, and readied her yo-yo for a second time._

_He stood as well, catching her hand and bringing it to his lips. “Cat-ch you at paw-trol tonight, my Lady,” he grinned. He released her, and, with a brief two-finger salute, was quickly vaulting off into the city._

_She, on the other hand, was too busy staring at her hand to move, feeling the red creep up her neck and her heartrate quicken. The spot he’d kissed still burnt from his lips, and she fought the urge to bring it to her own lips in some sort of weird, indirect kiss._

_She blinked, snapping out of whatever state she’d been in and frowning in the direction her partner had disappeared in. What the hell was that? She couldn’t—could she? No, that was crazy._

_She shook it off, her yo-yo finally shooting out as she headed home._

 

She disappeared for three weeks, only making an appearance when an akuma dared to show its face, though some swore they saw her in the crowd at the funeral. Paparazzi swarmed the bakery, making it all but impossible for anyone to come in or out. The only one allowed in was Alya.

Her parents would have let her stay away for longer, but Marinette was suffocating. She needed out of her room, and running across rooftops wasn’t fun anymore. Not without him. The suit felt like it was crushing her, and she couldn’t stand to be in it for any more than what was necessary.

Alya came to pick her up, and she shuddered through the transformation, if only to avoid the paparazzi. They touched down in front of the school where, thankfully, no one had gotten word she would be today, so she was safe from the cameras for now.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Alya asked, eyes wide as she squeezed Marinette’s arm. “You don’t have to come back if you’re not ready.”

Her friend nodded, taking a deep breath and mounting the stairs. “I can’t just sit around anymore,” she said. “I need to be doing something.”

She was surprised that none of the students came up to her, doing little more than staring from afar. She knew she was the reason he was gone, but she thought there’d still be some people who worshipped Ladybug enough to try to get her autograph. She supposed she must be wrong, but she also didn’t see Alya’s glare at anyone with a pen and paper who tried to get too close.

Alya let go of her arm to go into the classroom, and Marinette followed. Her eyes caught on his empty desk and she froze. She couldn’t breathe, and her hand caught the doorframe to keep herself standing.

 

_“Can I tell you a secret?”_

_His smile lit up the sky as he grinned down at her, and her stomach fluttered. It’d been doing that for weeks now, and she’d finally conceded that maybe, just maybe, she might have a little bit of a crush on Chat Noir._

_She smiled back, feeling a blush cover her cheeks. He was so close. She didn’t know how they’d gotten into this position. They were supposed to be patrolling, but here they were, her with her back pressed against the chimney, him resting on an arm pressed near her head, the other hovering near her waist. She wished he’d just touch her already._

_“Of course.”_

_Her hands came up to play with his bell, and his smile faltered for a moment before coming back even brighter. He leaned closer, their noses almost touching._

_“I kind of have this massive crush on you, Bugaboo.”_

_Her breath caught in her throat, but then she was grinning back at him, her hands moving from his bell to wrap around his neck._

_“Can I tell you a secret?”_

_He nodded, his forehead brushing against hers. His hand finally touched her waist, wrapping around it and tugging her closer. She was so lost in his eyes that she almost forgot to speak._

_“I really want to kiss you.”_

_And then his lips were meeting hers for the first time that wasn’t because of an akuma._

 

“Hey.” Marinette tore her eyes from his desk at Alya’s words, her friend’s fingers closing around her arm in comfort once more. “You can go home if you want. You don’t have to be here.”

Marinette shook her off, eyes trained on the ground as she made her way to her seat. She could feel her classmates’ stares. She barely made it to the base of the first row when a body stopped her. She recognized the white flats and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, before raising her gaze to the girl blocking her path.

“You’re really Ladybug?” Chloe whispered. Her eyes were red and slightly puffy, her lip quivering.

Marinette folded in on herself. She couldn’t look at Chloe like that. “I’m sorry,” she managed, her arms wrapping around her stomach. “I’m sorry I couldn’t save him. I’m sorry he’s—he’s—because of me.”

She didn’t expect the arms that suddenly wrapped around her, squeezing her tightly, or the wetness that began to seep into her hair.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Chloe told her. “Papillon killed him. Not you.” She held her tighter, and Marinette released her arms to tentatively return the hug. “I miss him so much, Marinette.”

“Me too.” She choked on a sob, and pressed her face against Chloe’s shoulder. It was a few long moments before Chloe pulled away, sinking back into her seat, and Marinette made her way back to her own bench, avoiding Alya’s gaze.

 

_They were lying on a rooftop that was close enough to watch the outdoor movie they’d decided on for their date but not close enough to be hounded by fans. The movie had ended a while ago, the civilians having long since packed up and left, but they were still wrapped up in the blankets they’d brought. He was lying on his back, and her head was resting on his chest. She traced patterns into his suit with her fingers and his were running through her hair._

_She lifted her head, resting her forearm under his bell so she could look down at him. He smiled up at her with sleepy eyes, and she returned it, her heart thumping in her chest._

_“Chat,” she whispered, reaching out with the hand that wasn’t keeping her from crashing down on him. She brushed her fingers along the bottom of his mask, and he leaned into her touch._

_“Yes, my Lady?” he whispered back, his arms winding around her waist._

_She bit her lip, her fingers moving to trace along his. “I love you.”_

_His sleepy smile broke into a grin, and he rolled them over, blankets tangling around them. He leaned down to press their foreheads together. “I love you, too, Ladybug.”_

_She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down and crashing her lips against his. Oh, how she wished they’d defeat Papillon soon so they could tell each other who they were. She wanted to be with him all the time, not just when they could sneak away from their lives. She wanted to introduce him to her parents and her friends, wanted to meet his father and his own friends. She wanted to talk on the phone all night, to sneak into his room when she was bored so they could cuddle. She wanted everything about him, not just these secret meetings late at night._

_But that’s what they had right now, and, as their lips moved against each other, she didn’t want to give it up._

 

The day passed pretty quickly. Marinette had no idea what was being taught, as she spent her classes alternately staring at his seat and scrolling through the pictures of them that she’d downloaded onto her phone from the Ladyblog. No one tried to talk to her but Alya, though she could feel the stares of her classmates and hear them whispering.

Nino avoided her gaze the whole day, hunched in on himself and refusing to even look in her direction. 

Alya said not to worry, that he was just grieving his friend and that he knew it wasn’t her fault but that he just needed someone to blame. She said he’d come around eventually, but Marinette wasn’t listening because Nino was right. She should have been able to save him.

She was back in her room that night, the picture that had made their relationship public taking up the screen of her computer, when her mother came upstairs, wrapping her arms around her daughter from behind. Neither said anything for a while, the screen changing to a picture of him grinning at the camera.

“I love him, Maman,” she whispered, her fingers on the screen resting against his face, his cat-like eyes staring out at her. “I love him and I just miss him so much.”

Sabine pulled her daughter up out of the chair, leading her to the chaise and wrapping her in her arms again. “Tell me about him,” she said, her fingers stroking her hair. “Tell me about the boy who captured your heart. You were dating for a year?”

“Two.” Marinette sniffed, a watery laugh bubbling from her throat. “It took a while for anyone to catch on. We used to make bets on how long it would take someone to finally get a picture.” She sighed, pressing her cheek against her mother’s shoulder. “He was amazing, Maman. You would have loved him. I mean, I know you knew Adrien, and that you’d seen Chat fight akumas and everything, but you didn’t know him like I did. He was…he was my everything.”

Her mother smiled sadly, tears gathering in her eyes. “I wish I’d known him better,” she sighed. “From what I saw, he was pretty amazing.” Marinette sniffed, and her mother held her tighter. “It’s going to get better, dear. Not right away, but one day you’re going to wake up and it’ll hurt less. He wouldn’t want you to hurt.”

She didn’t say anything, but she knew what her mother was saying was true. He wouldn’t want her to wallow in his death, would want her to move on in life without him. But she couldn’t. Not yet. Because he was supposed to be here with her. Forever, he’d promised. 

It was the only promise he’d ever broken.

 

_She froze in the doorway of the café, sighing as she picked out the boy sitting at a table, flipping through his phone as he waited for her. She bit her lip, crossing the floor. He smiled when he saw her, standing up to help her remove her coat and pulling out a chair for her._

_“Listen,” she said, watching as he reclaimed his own seat, his fingers fiddling with his napkin while hers played with the hem of her sweater. “I know Alya and Nino have been trying to set this up for a long time, but I can’t date you.”_

_He let out a breathy laugh, relaxing back into his chair. “Thank god,” he murmured. Her eyebrows rose, and a protest was on her tongue, but he beat her to it, hands raised in defence and a sheepish grin crossing his face. “Not that you wouldn’t be great to date! I’m sure you’d make a fantastic girlfriend. It’s just—” He broke off with a sigh, running a hand through his hair and seeming to contemplate something. “Can you keep a secret?” She nodded, and he leaned forward, propping his chin up on his hands, an adoring smile lighting up his face. “I have a girlfriend.”_

_She grinned back at him. “Oh, Adrien, that’s wonderful,” she gushed. “But why does it have to be a secret?”_

_“My father doesn’t know,” he sighed. “And there’s no way he’d approve of me being distracted by a girl.” He leveled her with a look. “Just, please, don’t tell anyone. Nino doesn’t even know.”_

_She snorted. “I’d assume not, seeing as he was trying to set us up,” she pointed out, and he gave her a noncommittal shrug. “Can I tell you a secret, too?”_

_“Of course, Mari.”_

_She let out a blissful sigh, thinking of a different pair of green eyes. “I have a secret boyfriend, too.”_

_He laughed, and she was almost offended until he spoke, eyes glinting over his coffee. “It looks like we’ve got more in common than we thought.”_

 

Of all the people Marinette expected to run into a few days later while walking home from school, Gabriel Agreste was not one of them. Of course, she didn’t so much as run into him as he had his limo pulled over so he could talk to her.

She shook as she climbed into the car, fearing the worst. Why would the father of the boy she’d let die want to speak to her? She settled into the seat warily, eyes trained on the ground as they drove in silence.

“There’s a way.”

She blinked, finally glancing up at the man. His face was as blank as always, though his eyes may have held a tinge of sadness. “A way to what?”

Gabriel took a deep breath, folding his hands on his knees. “A way to bring him back.”

She stared at him for a long moment, a sliver of hope beginning to thaw out in her heart. “There is?”

Tikki flew out of her pocket in a red blur, scowling at Gabriel. “Plagg and I have discussed this, Marinette,” she said, her eyes softening as she looked at her chosen. “I’m sorry, but it’s far too dangerous.”

Plagg joined his counterpart, hovering in the air in front of her face. “I told you she was going to find out.” He closed his eyes, rubbing his nubs against his face. “I told you we should have told her. But, no, that would just tempt her. Which wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing, by the way.”

Marinette twisted his ring around her finger, glancing between the kwamis and Gabriel. “You knew?” she whispered. “You knew there was a way to bring him back, and you didn’t even tell me?”

“I’m sorry, Marinette,” Tikki said again, eyes wide. “The risks are far too great. You can’t do it.”

“I’m afraid,” Gabriel spoke up, leveling the kwamis with a disapproving look, “that that’s not your decision to make.”

“I’ll do it.” Her grip on the ring tightened, and she gazed past the kwamis at his father with determination. “Whatever it is, I’ll do it. I’d give anything to get him back.”

“Even your own life?”

She couldn’t answer, her breath leaving her body as she stared at Tikki. Would she? Was bringing him back really worth that much?

Plagg saved her from answering, letting out a long-suffering sigh. “Don’t scare the kid,” he scolded before turning to Marinette. “The chances of you dying are very slim. Really, the chance is only there if the connection isn’t strong enough, and your connection is far stronger than other cases where it’s worked.”

She stared at him in silence, thoughts whirring through her brain too fast for her to catch anything solid or coherent.

It was Gabriel who spoke up. “I’m getting my son back,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. “The plan was to bring back his mother, but she’d understand.” He pulled a purple broach from his pocket, the jewel at the centre of the butterfly catching the light as the limo pulled to a stop. “Willingly help me, and I’ll hand over the Miraculous with no problems. Refuse, and I’ll send more akuma than you can hope of defeating and get them from you that way.” The driver opened the door, and Marinette slid out. “Your kwamis can further explain the details. You have two days to decide before the next akuma. Choose wisely, Marinette.”

The car pulled away and Marinette made her way up to her room, still numb. How could they have kept something like this from her? Of course she’d do anything to bring him back. She couldn’t believe that they wouldn’t tell her.

And then there was the matter that Gabriel Agreste was Papillon and had apparently been fighting them all this time to try to bring his wife back, that they’d been keeping that from happening. Nothing made sense anymore. Absolutely nothing.

She sunk into her chaise upon reaching her room, the kwamis hovering in front of her, alternating between sending her worried looks and each other irritated ones.

She let out a sigh, raising her gaze. She avoided looking at Tikki, instead focusing on Plagg. “What do I have to do?”

Tikki flew forward, panic clear on her face. “You can’t!”

Marinette turned her gaze on her, narrowing her eyes. “I can do whatever I want,” she pointed out. “But let me have the chance to decide for myself.”

Tikki looked like she wanted to say something more, but chose to go sulk in a corner instead.

Plagg, having been left to explain on his own, landed on Marinette’s knee, offering her a solemn look. “The combined power of the ladybug and the cat Miraculouses can bring back the dead.”

“Theoretically,” Tikki added in a hissed mutter from her corner. Plagg shot her a look.

“It only works if the person using them has a strong enough connection to the soul they’re trying to revive, and vice versa,” he continued, returning his attention to Marinette. “It comes at a cost, even if the connection is strong enough. In reviving him, you’d be giving him half your energy, half your life, and taking half of his death. At best, you’d be hospitalized for a while, most likely unconscious for a long period of time. He’ll recover much faster than you.” He paused, searching Marinette’s face. “This is something we can only do about once a century, kid. It’s like doing a thousand Cataclysms at once. It drains us of our energy, and we have to recharge inside the Miraculouses for decades. If you do this, it’ll be goodbye.”

 

_A giddy laugh bubbled up as she tore across the rooftops, yo-yo catching on chimneys and propelling her on. She dared a glance back at him, grinning as she caught his eye. He was catching up, but there was no way he was going to win._

_“You’re faster than that,” she taunted, swinging her way into a bigger lead, the tower and the victory it would bring so close. “Don’t tell me you’re getting slow in your old age, Minou.”_

_His own bark of laughter found its way to her ears. “I’m purr-ty sure you’re older than me, My Lady,” he called back. “Unless you’re not really an Aries.”_

_She giggled, the wind hitting her face as she flew through the air, and knew she would never trade any of this for the world. He was her love, and she was his, and she would spend all her moments with him if she could._

_She touched down on the tower, and he landed far too close to be able to crown a winner. But that didn’t stop him from leaning in, arm wrapping around her waist as he pulled her in._

_“I believe I get to claw-aim my purr-ize now, Bugaboo,” he whispered, voice low as his eyes stared into her soul._

_“Nuh-uh.” She shook her head, smirking at him, her arms rising to twine around his neck. “I’m the one who gets a prize.”_

_“Well,” he said, drawing out the syllable and leaning down so their noses touched. “I guess since we can’t agree on a winner, we should both get a prize. How does that sound?”_

_“Sounds purr-fect,” she agreed, closing the distance between their lips._

_It was a later in the night, when they were lying on the platform, arms and legs tangled together, when he propped himself up, just gazing down at her._

_She giggled, her eyes darting down. “Is there something on my face, Chaton?” she asked, but he just shook his head, grinning as he tilted her chin, reconnecting their eyes._

_“Will you marry me?”_

_She blinked at him in shock for a moment, ignoring the flood of warmth that swept through her at his words. Then she let out a breathy laugh, poking him in the nose._

_“We’re eighteen, Chat,” she reminded him. “I don’t want to get married for another few years at least, and....” She trailed off, a blush tracing her cheeks as she ducked her gaze away again. “And I’d like to know your real name before we get married.”_

_He grinned, swooping down to press a kiss against her temple. “That wasn’t a no,” he pointed out. “But I suppose I can wait a few years.”_

_When he kissed her, they were both smiling too much for it to work at all, but neither really cared. Her head was filled with visions of houses and weddings, of waking up every morning next to a nameless blond man, of tiny people with his eyes and her hair chasing the cats through the kitchen, of goodnight kisses and morning cuddles, of so much love she wouldn’t know what to do with all of it._

_If this was her future, if he was her future, well, she couldn’t wait for him to ask for real._

 

She stood in front of the Agreste Mansion, staring up at the gates for a long moment before she finally rang the buzzer.

 _“What do_ you _want?”_

She remembered the secretary being slightly more polite last time, but she supposed that was before she’d been unable to stop his death. The woman had probably cared about him. Enough people blamed her that it had stopped fazing her.

“Please tell M. Agreste that I’ve decided to accept his deal.”

Was it kind of creepy that the private Agreste Mausoleum was at the back of their property? Maybe a little. Was it convenient? Absolutely.

In almost no time, Marinette and Gabriel were standing outside its doors, and her hands were steady for the first time since he’d died. She could do this. She could finally do something to fix it all.

Tikki and Plagg hovered in front of her, and she hesitated for a moment before pulling Plagg to her cheek.

“You’re a great cat,” she whispered. “He was lucky to have you.”

“He was lucky to have you, too.” Plagg squeezed his arms against her face. “Tell the kid I’ll miss him, okay?”

She nodded and Plagg flittered off, giving her a moment with Tikki. Marinette squeezed the kwami against her, silent tears falling down her face.

“I’m going to miss you so much,” she croaked out. “You’re one of my best friends, Tikki. I’d never have been who I am without you.”

“I’ll miss you, too, Marinette.” She could feel Tikki’s tears leaking against her. “You were an amazing Ladybug, one of the best. I’ll always remember you.”

After a moment, Tikki pulled away, and Marinette swiped a hand under her eyes. She took a deep breath, turning to Gabriel. “I’m ready.”

He nodded. “You’ll have to come in,” he said. “Adrien and I won’t be in the best condition after this is over, and we’ll need someone to alert Nathalie to get us to the hospital.”

“Wait.” Marinette narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “I’m the one who’s going to bring him back, not you.” Gabriel opened his mouth to argue, but she pressed on. “I’m not being petty, like I have to be the one to bring him back. It’s just the facts. We only have one shot at this. The chances of this working are much higher if I do it.”

Gabriel rose to his full height, glaring down at her. “But I’m his father.”

“And I’m his girlfriend,” she shot back, though the word still didn’t seem to encompass everything they meant to each other. “Do you really think that Chat never told Ladybug about how his father treated him? Or that Marinette never noticed how Adrien was barely holding it together? I’m sorry, M. Agreste, but the only way we’re going to get him back is if I’m the one that does it.”

She didn’t give him a moment to argue, calling on Tikki and Plagg to transform her into the strange ladybug-cat hybrid she’d been since his death. She gestured at Gabriel.

“If you could unlock the door.”

He did as she asked, and then, all at once, she was standing among the Agreste ancestors. Gabriel led her down the room, white marble sparkling as though it had been recently polished. She watched him run his fingers over the nameplate on one vault as they passed. Her breath caught in her throat as they reached the end of the way.

His coffin had already been brought out, set on a low table. Gabriel pulled open the lid, and she had to grasp the wall to keep from falling.

It was him. Whatever embalming or environmental factors Gabriel had put in the mausoleum or his son’s vault in particular had left him looking as he had before he’d died. He hadn’t started decomposing—for which Marinette was exceptionally grateful. She’d been giving herself pep-talks since she realized what saving him meant seeing—and looked as though he was just sleeping, that he’d wake up at any moment and make a stupid cat pun.

She took a deep breath, pulling back off the wall and slowly crossed to the coffin. She could do this. She was Lady Noir, for crying out loud. She could bring him back. She knew she could.

She reached down, clutching his cold hands and bringing them up, offering him a watery smile. “Hey, Adrien,” she whispered, knowing full well he couldn’t hear her. “I’m going to bring you back, Chaton.”

She straightened, nodding at Gabriel. “I’m ready to start.”

 

_They met up at lunch break, on the roof of the old college where so many of the first akumas attacked. She’d brought snacks from the bakery—his favourite bakery, he’d once pointed out, and she’d smiled and kept the secret that it was hers—and was curled up on his lap as they ate. His claws ran over her back, and she rested her head on his shoulder, pressing kisses against his neck. She pulled away, gazing up at him._

_“I want to know you,” she whispered, her fingers outlining his mask as if she could peel it off. “I want to know all of you, Chat. I want to know what your eyes really look like. I want to know how you look when you wake up in the morning. I want to know you. All of you.” She took a deep breath, looking up at him from under her lashes. “I want you to know who I am.”_

_“Won’t it be dangerous?” he asked, stroking her hair, the brightening in his eyes dimming his arguments. It was funny, really, how she had become the one begging to throw their secrets out the window and he the one reminding her of the consequences. “Papillon could figure out some way to use it against us.”_

_She smiled, pressing a gentle kiss against his lips. “I don’t care.”_

_He brushed her bangs out of her eyes, a giddy laugh bubbling up as his face broke into a grin. “Tonight,” he decided, covering her face in light kisses. “We’ll change patrol into a date and we’ll tell each other tonight.” He pulled back, cupping her cheek and just grinning at her. “I don’t want getting to know you to be interrupted by having to go back to school, or I’d drop my transformation right now.”_

_She grinned back. “Tonight,” she repeated, leaning up to capture his lips once more._

_The sound of an akuma forced them apart, and she untangled herself from his lap, offering a hand to help him up._

_“I love you,” she declared, stealing one last kiss._

_“I love you, too,” he answered, and they jumped off the roof, heading for the sounds of screams, both awaiting a tonight that would never come._

 

Her body ached, but she forced her eyes open, the light too bright to be natural. Where was she? What had happened?

As she blinked up at the ceiling, the memories came back into focus. The deal with Gabriel. The Agreste Mausoleum. His body. And then…nothing. It mustn’t have worked. Everything after that was blackness.

She closed her eyes against the blinding light, whimpering slightly as the tears rolled down her face. That was it. That was her only shot and she’d failed. He was gone forever, and there was nothing she could do.

“Marinette? Are you—are you awake?”

Her breath caught in her throat because that couldn’t be…could it? It wasn’t possible. But that voice....

She slowly opened her eyes, the figure leaning above her more of a fuzzy blond outline than anything else.

The eyes came into focus first, their green staring deep into her soul.

“Chaton?” she managed, her voice coming out in a whispered croak that she wasn’t sure he could even hear.

But then his arms came down around her and she was wrapped in the familiar embrace she’d know anywhere. She clung to him, sobbing into his hair as she breathed in the familiar scent of his shampoo.  
He pulled her into sitting in her hospital bed, and they held each other. She pulled away first, hands stroking at the sides of his face as she just stared for a few long moments, drinking in the boy she’d thought she’d lost.

“You’re alive,” she whispered, pressing a kiss against his nose. “I love you so much.” She pressed another against his eyelid, and then the other, and then his cheeks, by which point she was just peppering his face in kisses, whispering the words over and over.

He grinned at her, and it was watery but genuine, and swooped in to briefly capture her lips with his, the one place her kisses hadn’t reached. “I love you,” he breathed, pulling her tighter against him. “I love you, Marinette.”

They sat there for a while, wrapped around one another, until the doctors came in, and her parents and their friends and she wasn’t even sure who else, because none of it mattered.

He was back. Adrien was alive. Chat Noir was alive. She had her Chaton back and she was never going to let him go again.

*********************************************************************

_Hey now don't you run away, don't you run away.  
Hey now don't you be afraid, don't you be afraid.  
You're safe._

**Author's Note:**

> Might do a sequel at some point with Adrien's post-being-dead POV.  
> Hope you liked it!  
> Comments are life and asks are golden!  
> Hit me up on Tumblr at probably-voldemort :D


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